For the most part, modern vegetarians have given up the pursuit of meat substitutes. Why try to make plants taste like meat when you can just enjoy a vegetable that tastes like itself or a veggie "burger" that's clearly made of quinoa and beans?

But there are now new attempts being made to make a veggie burger that can actually substitute for meat, even for carnivores and flexitarians.

That's what Beyond Burger worked on for seven years, coming up with a pea-protein patty with coconut oil for moistness and beet juice that "bleeds." Now BurgerFi, the national burger chain, recently put a Beyond Burger on their menu.

It's getting closer.

Buy Photo

An inside view of the Beyond Burger veggie burger from BurgerFi.(Photo: The Enquirer/Polly Campbell)

The best thing about the new burger is that it's much thicker than the usual veg patty. You can actually find it and taste it in there among the cheese and lettuce.

The bleeding beet juice really gives it a meat-like appearance. It also manages a texture that has the looseness of ground beef--it acts like a burger meat patty. But it's lighter in texture and, while good in its own savory way, no carnivore would mistake it for beef.

But, when you've got a bun, mustard, onions, tomatoes, and cheese, plus fries on the side, you've got enough of the important parts of the burger-eating experience to be convincing, and this is pretty satisfying eating.

The Beyond Burger still is not in every BurgerFi location, so they haven't yet posted nutritional information, but the Beyond Burger patty that's sold retail has less saturated fat than beef, no cholesterol, 3 grams of fiber, and is comparable in fat, higher in sodium, and lower in protein, though it has 20 grams in 4 ounces.

There is one BurgerFi location in Greater Cincinnati, at 161 E. Freedom Way at the Banks. 513-832-2817, www.burgerfi.com.